Questions Answered

Question: Jesus says: “Judge not.” (Mt. 7:1) When are we allowed to judge?
Answer: The issue of judgement is an important moral problem. Judgement is an act of the virtue of justice. Since justice involves establishing equity between one … [Read more...]

Question: It is my impression that when we celebrate the Eucharist in my diocese at community Mass, Eucharistic Prayer 2 predominates. What might underlie this preference? What merit is there to criticisms about the historicity, and … [Read more...]

Question: Since I was a child in school many years ago (I am now 67!), I have had a question I could not answer. Adam and Eve were created in the image of God, we learned as children. We also learned about prehistoric man. Were our first … [Read more...]

Question: What is the origin of female altar servers?
Answer: Female altar servers are a fact of life in the Church since 1992. The ability of girls to serve at Mass is established by papal authority, so one must accept their possibility … [Read more...]

Question: A fine layman friend of mine was attending a class at a Catholic college taught by a priest who was insisting that Christ’s acquired knowledge was defective, citing Mk 2:26, when Our Lord cited that David ate the loaves of o … [Read more...]

For February 2018

Question: There seems to be an ongoing question about the explanation of marriage which appears in Amoris Laetitia concerning the reliability of moral laws. Even some orthodox Catholics are questioning whether a moral law can be considered … [Read more...]

Question: Please explain why “even attachment to venial sin” prevents one from obtaining a plenary indulgence. It seems no one can receive one as we all are attached to, and even commit, venial sins.
Answer: The answers to this question a … [Read more...]

Question: There has been a great deal of talk recently about the fact that Christians cannot be rigid, and that rigidity compromises mercy and the Gospel. The Pharisees are used as examples of this. Why is there so much emphasis on this, … [Read more...]

Question: Can you explain to me just what is referred to as the “dark night of the
soul” in the mystical life? Should all Christians experience these?
Answer: The question of the dark night of the soul is central to any description of th … [Read more...]

Question: Can you explain to me the problem of evil exemplified in the Book of Job?
Answer: In answer to your question, I would like to summarize the Commentary on the Book of Job by Thomas Aquinas, which I have recently translated. As … [Read more...]

Question: Does a homily mean something other than a sermon? Online dictionaries seem to show them to be interchangeable. I have for years now believed homilies to be based on Scripture, and sermons might cover a range of topics, not … [Read more...]

Question: If a couple is in the state of mortal sin because of cohabitation before marriage without confession, is the marriage still a valid sacramental marriage? If not, when does it become a sacramental marriage?
Answer: This q … [Read more...]

Question: Why was baptism by John so crucial for Jesus, but not for Jesus’ followers?
Answer: The baptism by John is the last in a number of rituals established by God as a part of the progressive preparation of the human race for the co … [Read more...]

Question: Concerning Eucharistic adoration, some chapels have a small monstrance with a door in front of it and when people are not going to be present the whole time they are instructed to close the door. Is it alright to do this with … [Read more...]

Question: Would you care to comment on women deaconesses? The question of reinstating them has been raised by a Cardinal.
Answer: The question of women deaconesses is a long and complicated one. It has arisen because the Church is clear … [Read more...]